Karak Attack: Police Hunt Extremists After Funeral Ambush
Three armed men arrived by car, fired inside a church for about 15 minutes, and escaped in a pickup truck as security tightened around Karak.
By Yuna Fletcher ·
Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said on Friday that authorities are pursuing a group of extremists in connection with a shooting at a church funeral in Hmoud, Karak governorate. Seven mourners were killed and at least 34 injured, officials said. King Abdullah II said the state would confront the attack with the harshest penalties.
The attack began Friday at a funeral service. Early casualty reports varied: first seven dead, then six from a government spokesperson, then seven again. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned what he called a heinous terrorist attack, adding that it violated the sanctity of funeral mourners.
CCTV footage reviewed by the BBC shows three men approaching the church from a road. Two entered what appeared to be a vehicle entrance, withdrew briefly, and returned with a third man. All three carried handguns. Khalid al-Mdanat, who was inside the church, told BBC Arabic the gunfire lasted roughly 15 minutes, with people trying to flee while the shooting was still active. He said the gunmen left through church doors and escaped in a pickup truck firing as they went. Another witness said it sounded like a war had begun. A woman inside reported that gunfire started seconds after a prayer and escalated for about 10 minutes. When she exited, she saw bodies in the courtyards.
Security forces blocked roads near a Karak hospital treating the wounded, pushing arriving families to park and walk. The perimeter was secured further ahead of King Abdullah II's visit to see the injured. Residents expressed anger over what they called a failure to take a tougher approach towards terrorists.
Karak is home to a sizeable Christian community within majority Muslim Jordan. Deadly attacks have occurred in the country before, though such violence is rare.
No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the shootings. Al-Faraya, at a news conference, said authorities are working to arrest those behind the attack and described it as painful and horrific.
Source: BBC News
